American Pygmy Kingfisher (Chloroceryle aenea)

[order] CORACIIFORMES | [family] Alcedinidae | [latin] Chloroceryle aenea | [UK] American Pygmy Kingfisher | [FR] Alcyon nain | [DE] Erzfischer | [ES] Martin Pescador Enano | [NL] Groene Dwergijsvogel

It has the typical kingfisher shape, with a short tail and long bill. It is oily green above, with a yellow-orange collar around the neck, rufous underparts and a white belly. The female has a narrow green breast band. Young birds resemble the adults, but have paler rufous underparts, no breast band, and speckled wings and flanks.

Latin America : South Mexico to North Argentina

Various habitats from dense rainforest to ditches in plantations. However always marginal vegetation overhanging water at small pools, streams. Always found in shadow.

Nest tunnel exavated in a riverbank. Clutch size is 3-4 eggs. No further data.

American Pygmy Kingfishers perch quietly on a low branch close to water before plunging in head first after small fish or tadpoles. They will also hawk for insects. They are quite tame, but easily overlooked as they sit silently amongst riverside branches.

This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Sedentary throughout range.